The Retelling: Gensokyo Alpha
by Cogi
Summary: Chen and Ran are bored and Yukari agrees to read them a book. What was in that book was the stuff of legends, and none of the three had any idea how deep this would wind up going.
1. Prologue: Opening the book

From nowhere an interesting gap in the fabric of reality suddenly formed. A long purple tunnel, its walls lined with eyes, that were unfocused, not staring at anything, and at the ends of the gap, as if holding the two sides of the gap together, a pair of red ribbons, tied to the ends of the gap. Going through the gap and reaching the other side, after a short trip, there was a tall woman with golden blonde hair, sitting on a simple chair, a light pink, adorned with yellow amulets, twin tailed hat sitting upon her head, behind her, nine golden Kitsune tails flowed swaying gently, her clothes seeming soft and smooth, colored in white as well as blue. In her lap a small girl curled up peacefully, wearing a small green cap of her own, her short brown hair flowing gently and softly as she let out a soft 'Nya' as the woman scratched her head, between her two black cat ears poking out of her hair, her left ear pierced with a single golden ring, and her two cat tails swaying softly in the breeze, she wore a simple outfit that looked comfortable, adorned of red and very light pink, nothing too special.

Across from them sat an older woman, she also had golden blonde hair but it was much longer than the first's, upon her head sat a light pink mob cap, adorned with a red ribbon at the front, her entire outfit consisting of purple, light pink, and the occasional splash of red in a very well organized pattern. A light pink umbrella leaned against her more comfortable looking, padded, red chair, she seemed well relaxed at ease just watching the two of them from their position in the middle of the blackness.

Eventually the smaller one on the lap of the first decided to be the first to speak up, breaking the silence they had with a question, "Nya, Ran-sama, you promised Yukari-sama was going to be reading us a story!" The first one, Ran, nodded her head rubbing the seemingly younger girl's head, "That I did, Chen-chan. So, Yukari-sama, what will you be reading for us today?"

Yukari seemed to think for a moment before nodding her head and pulling a fan from nowhere blowing some air from it into her face, "Today I will read the story of another Gensokyo. It is a good story, and rather interesting." Chen seemed appeased by this and cheered happily with a loud, "Nya! You're the best Yukari-sama!" Ran however was a bit more curious to the story itself so she found herself asking, "Which Gensokyo is it exactly Yukari-sama?"

Yukari reached down and suddenly reached into a gap in reality, that had most certainly not been there a moment before she reached for it, the same kind of gap from before, purple, with many eyes lining it's interior and the pair of ribbons holding its ends together. She pulled from it a book that had no written name on its cover or spine, "It's one of the many Gensokyos that there are, We have only encountered this particular one once, you wouldn't remember it. Shall I tell the story then?"

Chen leaped up from Ran's lap and started running around in glee shouting, "Yes, yes!" and Ran stood up as well, "A story like this requires proper refreshments and snacks, tea, Yukari-sama?" Yukari nodded her head lightly, "That is a good idea." Ran set off as she said so, in order to prepare refreshments for the coming story as well as snacks. Chen continued to run around happily before coming to a stop and resting her head on Yukari's lap, "So, whats the name of the book?" Chen asked innocently. Yukari blinked looking down at the book and turning it over, it was true she knew which book it was, but it didn't have a name, "It ... doesn't have one actually." Chen rolled over, "Lets give it a name then!" She pronounced suddenly, seemingly unsatisfied that the book had no name.

Yukari seemed to think on this for a moment and nodded her head, "A name ... it's part of a series of books so ..." Yukari seemed to think on this for some time, Chen rolling around happy to just play around while thinking of a name. It was at this moment Ran chose to return to the room, complete with a heavily laden tray of snacks and tea for them as she suggested, "Why not call it Alpha?" Yukari blinked thinking about it for a moment rolling the idea around in her head toying with it as she took a cup of tea Ran offered her, "I like it. The first in a series of books about other Gensokyos. We shall call it, Gensokyo Alpha. Now then, shall we get to reading the book?"

Chen seemed happy about this clapping and nodding her head vigorously jumping back into Ran's lap, "Yes yes! Tell us!" Ran nodded her head as well, though with much less energy than the the little ball of happiness that was Chen as she gave her a frosted bun to munch on, "Yes Yukari-sama, please, tell us the story." Ran settled down in the chair, making herself and Chen comfortable, expecting a nice long story told to be told to them. Yukari nodded her head slightly, "Very well, this is the story of another Gensokyo, no ... Gensokyo Alpha. And so our story begins ..." She opened the book and began to read its contents, a world unfolding before them, between them, as she told the tale, of a story that actually was, and had already happened, in another universe.

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Okay, this is a fan fiction long in the works, and is technically already complete. It was already told once, this is the retelling in a proper story format for all to find and enjoy, now then ... it seems like a very strong good first chapter from my point of view, nothing too bad, if it is a bit on a short side, but this is simply the Prologue for the story yet to come, this was never part of the official story. Hoping for reviews for advice, the first chapter will be added ... as soon as I am bored enough to actually write it. (Remember I already have the chapter, its just not written.)


	2. Chapter 1: A Hard Decision

"Yooooouuummuuuu!" The shout rang out across the shrine of the dead, Hakugyokurou. An exasperated young girl sighed heavily in response upon hearing the call. She took a look around the garden she was maintaining and shook her head slightly before walking back, away from the garden towards the large shrine. She opened the sliding door stepping inside, her hand brushing some stray dirt from her short silver hair, and readjusted the black ribbon in her hair. She turned to a marshmallowy phantom as large as she was drifting behind her, "Ready, Myon?" The phantom she called Myon only let out a "Myon~!" In response.

She let out a final sigh before walking across the hallway to a large sitting room with a table that had four chairs. In one of the chairs was an older woman wearing a blue bathrobe, and had shockingly pink hair that was short and wavy. She wore on her head a blue mob cap that had a piece of cloth on it that had a red spiraled J on the front. Sitting on her lap, a girl around the first's age with less bright pink short hair, and pointed ears was. She had light pink tipped wings extending from her back through a brown and white dress.

The first girl smiled widely, "Yes, Yuyuko-sama?" Yuyuko flailed her arms slightly, "Me and Mystia-chan need more food, Yooouumuuu, heeellppp!" Youmu sighed and nodded her head slightly, "Alright, alright Yuyuko-sama, I'll get the food." She walked off to the kitchen to start making food for the two of them with a soft grumble, "I slave and toil away for Yuyuko-sama and how does she repay me? By showering all her affection on a youkai I brought home as her dinner one night." She chops up some vegetables angrily glaring at them. She sighed and brushed them into the pot of stew she was making as she started cutting up the meat for it, it was a large pot. She stopped suddenly as Myon nuzzled her from behind and she smiled, "Thanks, Myon." She smiled weakly and relaxed as Myon let out a "Myon~." and let go as she went back to work on making the stew.

A bit later Youmu came out with the stew and enough food to feed six people in addition to it. She set it down on front of the table in front of Yuyuko and Mystia with a smile, "Food's ready." Yuyuko smiled at her, "Thank you, Youmu!" She took a bowl of stew and a spoon and smiled at Mystia, "Open up Mystia-chan!" And Yuyuko started to feed Mystia the food with a smile, as Youmu frowned and silently sneaked away to go back outside to do her gardening. Myon tried to comfort Youmu as she did this but Youmu just pushed her off, brushing off her green dress of the dirt on it, her two swords, a Wakizashi, a short sword, sheathed in a white sheathe and a Katana, sheathed in a black sheath.

Youmu continued to tend to Yuyuko's orders, only to receive brief attentions before her attentions were returned to Mystia. Youmu wasn't happy about these turn of events, but she continued to do as Yuyuko ordered of her. Mystia seemed to be concerned about Youmu but Youmu pushed her away, and Yuyuko told her not to worry about it. And that was how things continued for the next few days.

Youmu sighed patting Myon as she worked hard on the garden, "It's okay Myon, I'm fine really." But her tone of voice seemed conflicted to if she was trying to convince Myon, or herself. Myon seemed to realize this and let out a worried "Myooonn~" for her. Youmu just shook her head slightly, "Really, I'm fine, don't worry about it." She smiled at Myon and continued to work on the garden before suddenly a call of, "Yoooouuuumuuuuu, more food please!" rang out for Youmu from the dining room again. Youmu sighed softly getting back to her feet going back to the kitchen preparing more food for Yuyuko and Mystia.

Youmu brought the food to the two of them and smiled weakly as Yuyuko thanked her. She responded to her, "It's my job, I'm here to help." She shook her head slightly and paused for a moment at the doorway before going back out of the room and called back to them, "Mystia, when you're all done, would you mind coming to see me outside?" Mystia seemed confused, but she finished her bite of food she was currently in the middle of before smiling at Youmu closing her eyes, "Sure!" Youmu smiled back at her weakly, and finished leaving the room, as Mystia and Yuyuko continued to eat the food Youmu had prepared for them.

Time passed but Mystia finished her food and went outside to see Youmu, floating through the air around the garden, she called out to her, "Youmu? Youmu? Where are you, Youmu?" She drifted through the air hovering in place for a moment, before Youmu called out back to her, "I'm over here, Mystia." Mystia smiled as she drifted over to where she heard Youmu's voice landing in front of her with a smile, "There you are Youmu! So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Youmu stood in front of her, her face overcast by shadow as she nervously played with the hilt of her swords in their sheathe, looking down towards the ground away from her, before she spoke up and said to her, "I wanted to ask you a favor, Mystia."

Mystia seemed confused but she nodded her head rapidly, "Sure, Youmu! What is it?" Youmu played with the hilts of her sword for a moment before she grabbed both hilts in her hand, her eyes flashing up to Mystia, filled with anger as she asked her angrily, "Mind dying for me?" And she leaped at Mystia quickly closing the distance between in a single move, removing her swords from her sheathe and swinging them both at Mystia from opposite directions.

Mystia managed to move out of the way at the last moment, flapping her wings, "Hey! Youmu! Whats gotten into you? Stop it!" Youmu didn't respond a look of anger still in her eyes, Myon floating around her as she dashed back at Mystia, closing the distance between them once more as she slashed with both her swords again, clearly aiming to cut Mystia in half. Mystia narrowly managed to avoid the swords once more, reacting with quick speeds she lashed out at her with her clawed fingers, "Youmu! Stop! I don't want to fight you!"

Youmu just grinned widely, "Well that's too bad, because I want to fight you." She leap at Mystia again not bothering to land, both her swords in the air above her head as she started to bring them down as she came down in a fluid movement. Mystia started to move but there was no way she could get out of the way in time. Youmu's eyes gleaned with hatred as she brought the swords down to finish the job, only to be interrupted before the act could be finished.

In front of Youmu, between her and Mystia was Yuyuko, shielding Mystia with her own body her arms out in front of her. Youmu went wide eyed in shock and diverted the blades from the angle, both of the blades missing the both of them and biting into the ground, as Youmu landed panting heavily, "Y-Yuyuko-sama ….." Yuyuko seemed to ignore Youmu turning to Mystia, "Are you okay Mystia-chan? Did she get you?" Mystia shook her head slightly in response, "N-No, I'm fine." Yuyuko then hugged Mystia with a smile, "That's good, I'm glad. Could you go back inside for a bit Mystia? I must speak with Youmu." Mystia nodded her head responding with a brief, "Okay!" and headed inside not waiting for Youmu or Yuyuko to follow.

Yuyuko turned to Youmu and stared at her for a bit, "Youmu ….. Youmu, Youmu, Youmu, Youmu." She shook her head and sighed softly. Youmu looked up at Yuyuko and asked, "Yuyuko-sama?" Yuyuko looked at Youmu and once again shook her head at her, "What you did was wrong. I want you to think on what you did to try to better yourself. That will be all Youmu." And without another word Yuyuko left once more heading inside after Mystia as Youmu hung her head in shame and with a soft sigh exclaimed, "Yes, Yuyuko-sama." She shook her own head slightly as Myon pressed against her, hugging her close, "Myon?" Youmu smiled at Myon and hugged her back in response, "Thanks, Myon."

Some time passed and things resumed back to normal for the most part, but with much less talking on the parts of Youmu and Yuyuko. Yuyuko didn't seem willing to engage Youmu in conversation other than when she needed something from her, and Youmu was more than willing to cooperate with her wishes. At one point late one afternoon, Youmu approached Mystia when she was all alone. Mystia seemed slightly shocked Youmu approached her but she turned to Youmu and asked her with a smile, "What is it Youmu? Is something wrong?"

Youmu seemed distracted by something before she fell to her knees bowing her head to Mystia in apology, "I'm sorry … I'm very truly sorry for what I tried to do to you." Mystia seemed to be caught off guard by her apology and smiled at Youmu, "Youmu …. it's okay, it really is." But Youmu shook her head heavily in response, "It's not okay! That's why …. that's why I made this for you." Youmu got back to her feet as she said that and took out from behind her back a very nice sweater that was clearly hand made. Mystia took the sweater looking at it and smiled at Youmu, "Youmu …. you …. thank you." She reached out and hugged Youmu who hugged her slightly in return. "I'm really sorry Mystia." She shook her head slightly and said to her in response, "Consider us even."

Mystia smiled and waved at Youmu as she walked away, heading for her room. Youmu sighed softly and stayed where she was in the hallway, "I did the right thing …. right Myon?" She turned to Myon expecting an answer but before Myon could answer her from the doorway to the sitting room Yuyuko made herself apparent and said aloud, "Of course you did Youmu, and don't doubt that. Now … I want you to talk to me about something."

Youmu seemed caught off guard by this but smiled at Yuyuko, "About what Yuyuko-sama?" Yuyuko shook her head slightly and paced back and forth in the hallway before Youmu. She was silent for a moment before asking her rather abruptly, "How do you feel about me Youmu?" Youmu was once again caught off guard by the question but she reprized herself and started to speak up, "I'm really happy with you, Yuyuko-sama." Yuyuko laughed softly and shook her head slightly before saying, "I suppose I should phrase my question better, I want to know, how you feel, about me. Your feelings towards me, your feelings for me."

Youmu frowned caught off guard by the sudden turn of conversation before she decided to confess, "I …. love you Yuyuko-sama. I love you. My happiest times are when I am with you, and I wish you would return the feelings for me. No, that's not accurate. I wish you would have eyes only for me. I want you to have feelings for me and shower me in your affection, like you do with Mystia. And me alone."

Yuyuko stayed silent for a bit before asking "Is that how you truly feel Youmu?" Youmu paused for a moment before nodding her head in response, "Yes, Yuyuko-sama. It is." Yuyuko walked over to Youmu shaking her head slightly reaching out to her. Youmu watched curious wondering what she was going to do as Yuyuko raised her right hand high. Youmu could not have predicted what came next however.

A loud crack rang through Hakugyokurou, brought about by Yuyuko when she swung her hand down at Youmu, slapping her across the face. Youmu turned her face with the blow, rolling with it her cheek turning red from the impact as she slowly turned back to face Yuyuko her eyes watering up slightly and she let out a soft, "Y-Y-Yuyuko-sama?" Yuyuko looked at her with an impassive face, frowning at her and shaking her head harshly, she took out her fan and raised it up in front of her face, "I think you should go Youmu."

To say Youmu was shocked by this announcement would be an understatement. She looked at Yuyuko and said, "B-But why? Yuyuko-sama ….. why do you-?" But Yuyuko cut her off harshly, "I have spoken wrong once more, I phrased it as a suggestion but I see I must rephrase myself to get the point across. I want you to leave Youmu. Leave the Netherworld. And do not return."

Youmu blinked torn up about what just happened, but she shook her head not hiding the tears running down her face before she took off, running, out of Hakugyokurou running away from it, leaving it all behind as she cried her heart out, running away from her boss and the woman she loved, sent away by her own orders, with Myon following her as her only companion and friend. She had no idea where she would go, but she continued to run, past the gate of the netherworld, into the world of the living and beyond that, into the unknown.

* * *

Okay, this chapter took longer than expected. I finished it around two weeks ago, but I never got to publishing it as I was waiting on something that never happened. The chapter is still pretty short sadly but i'm operating on minimal details. It's not easy.


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